Elon Musk, the well-known American entrepreneur, recently clarified his decision not to activate Starlink satellite connectivity over Crimea. This move was guided by concerns over violating U.S. sanctions against Russia.
Musk explained that he declined a request to enable Starlink on the Crimean Peninsula. The request aimed to assist the Ukrainian military in targeting Russian Navy ships. However, Musk emphasized that activating the satellite network in this region would breach U.S. sanctions designed to limit interactions with Russia.
CNN previously reported that Musk had restricted Starlink’s satellite internet access near Crimea, which inadvertently thwarted a Ukrainian military operation against the Russian Navy. Musk responded to these claims by clarifying that the system was never activated in the first place. He highlighted that any activation would have been in direct violation of U.S. sanctions.
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On the social media platform X, Musk stated, “Starlink was prohibited from activating satellites… (over Crimea) at the time, because it would have been a violation of US sanctions against Russia!”
Musk further noted that fulfilling Kiev’s request to enable satellite connectivity over Crimea would have contravened U.S. law. He pointed out that while Starlink can serve as a communication tool for military purposes, using it for direct military actions could reclassify it from a commercial to a military system. This reclassification might allow other nations to target the satellites.
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Musk has consistently expressed his desire to use technology to aid people rather than escalate conflicts. He reiterated that SpaceX, the company behind Starlink, never promised coverage over Crimea. Musk emphasized his commitment to preventing the use of Starlink in ways that could intensify military conflicts, potentially leading to global repercussions like World War III.
